Former President Donald Trump is relying more and more on the grassroots army supplied by the far-right group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in order to beef up his campaign infrastructure in key swing states. But some Republicans aren't as enthusiastic about the partnership.
The group — founded and led by MAGA acolyte Charlie Kirk — has been a "powerful operational ally" to Trump's 2024 campaign, according to a Saturday report in Politico. Based in Arizona, Turning Point has been mobilizing conservative swing state voters in an effort to juice Trump's campaign as he struggles to pay for his costly criminal defenses and as he reels from 34 felony convictions in New York.
While the Trump campaign has called TPUSA a "force multiplier" in battleground states and while Trump reportedly has a "warm" relationship with Kirk, Oscar Brock — a Republican National Committeeman from Tennessee — is wary of the group's influence on the party as a whole. Brock told Politico that TPUSA seems to be "all about making money" more than helping the GOP cause.
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“They raised a ton of money, and then they turn around and poo poo and badmouth the Republican Party left and right until they get a seat at the table,” Brock told the publication. “It’s just not the way you operate, in my opinion.”
Kirk has established himself as a divisive figure among some members of the Republican National Committee (RNC) over his work to oust former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel from her position. He's previously made eyebrow-raising remarks about women, with Politico reporting that he once said women over 30 were "not at their prime" to date. He's also said he's wary of Black pilots, suggesting that they're unqualified to do their jobs and were only allowed to fly planes due to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Earlier this year, Kirk dedicated an entire episode of his podcast to trashing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whom he called "awful." He added that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended racial segregation of public institutions in the United States, a "huge mistake" that set up a "permanent DEI-type bureaucracy."
Still, the RNC sees Kirk's organization as useful as it works to elect Trump to a second term in the White House. Jay Shepard, who is an RNC committeeman from Vermont, conceded to Politico that TPUSA is "very influential."
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"Effective? That depends on what your measurement is," Shepard said. "They are certainly a messaging juggernaut and fundraising juggernaut."
Later this evening, Trump is scheduled to speak at a TPUSA event in Detroit, Michigan at 6 PM ET. He'll be joined by a phalanx of other high-profile GOP figures, including Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia). Former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon — who will have to surrender himself to federal authorities on July 1 to serve a four-month prison sentence — is also scheduled to speak.
Click here to read Politico's report in full.
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